Eye for a Recipe

This recipe from Food and Wine calls for airline chicken breasts, which are skin-on boneless chicken breasts with the drumette attached. I couldn’t find them, so I used skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, which worked just fine. Brown the chicken and set it aside. Cook carrots, oyster mushrooms, small turnips or radishes with butter and herbs and then add scallions and the chicken to the pan. Roast until the chicken is done and then remove it and the vegetables from the pan. While the chicken rests, add wine, herbs and chicken stock to the pan and simmer to reduce it. Add butter. Season the sauce and serve it over the chicken and vegetables.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for butter that contains only cream, with no colour added. I used wine from Frogpond Farm, which has a sulfite level of less than 10 parts per million. Imagine Organic chicken stock is additive-free.

This recipes uses a combination of oyster mushrooms, radishes, carrots and onions

Brown the chicken and set aside

Cook the vegetables with rosemary sprigs

Add the chicken and onions to the pan and roast until done

While the chicken rests, make a quick sauce

Serve the chicken and vegetables with the sauce

Ingredients:

4 (10-ounce/283 g) skin-on airline chicken breasts or skin-on bone-in chicken breasts or thighs

1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

¾ teaspoon (3.5 ml) black pepper, divided

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

6 small carrots, sliced diagonally into 1-inch (2.54-cm) pieces (about 1 ½ cups/375 ml)

8 ounces (226 g) fresh oyster mushrooms, halved

6 small hakurei turnips or radishes, trimmed and quartered (about 1 cup/250 ml)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, divided

6 rosemary and thyme sprigs, divided

2 spring onions, or 4 scallions, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces (about 1 cup/250 ml)

¼ cup (60 ml) rosé wine

½ cup (125 ml) unsalted chicken stock

2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 ¼  teaspoons (6.25 ml) salt and ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) ovenproof skillet over medium. Cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is golden brown and crispy, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Reserve drippings in skillet.

Increase heat to high. Add carrots, mushrooms, turnips, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter, 3 herb sprigs, remaining ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) pepper; stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add onions and chicken, skin side up. Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of chicken registers 160°F (71°C), 18 to 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, divide chicken and vegetables among 4 plates; reserve drippings in skillet.

Return skillet to heat over high. Add rosé and remaining 3 herb sprigs; cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes. Add stock, and bring to a simmer over high. Simmer until reduced by one-third, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons butter; season to taste with salt. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables. Serves 4.

From Food and Wine

This delicious recipe from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi has several steps, but the end result is well worth it. Hearty root vegetables are mashed with butter, maple syrup, spices and cooked lentils, then topped with shallots that have been braised in wine, stock and thyme. Cook’s Note: To make your own caster sugar, place regular white sugar in a spice grinder and process until it is very fine, about the consistency of icing sugar.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used a red wine from Frogpond Farm, which does not add sulfites to its wines. I also used Imagine stock and butter that contains only cream. Check your dry spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Brown shallots and then braise

Reduce braising sauce and add butter

Cook vegetables until tender

Le Puy lentils work best for this recipe because they hold their shape

Root Mash with Wine-Braised Shallots

Ingredients:

For the shallots

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

1 1/3 lb (600 g) shallots, peeled

1 2/3 cups (400 ml) red wine

200 ml vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

1 tsp (5 ml) whole black peppercorns

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tbsp (15 ml) caster sugar

Salt

2 tbsp (30 g) butter

For the lentils and vegetables

1/3 cup (80 g) puy lentils

½ celery root (300 g), peeled and cut into chunks

2 carrots (300 g), peeled and cut into chunks

½ kabocha squash (300 g), or other type, peeled and cut into chunks

2 sweet potatoes (600 g), peeled and cut into chunks

5 tbsp (70 g) butter, diced

2 tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup

1½ tsp (7.5 ml) ground cumin

Salt and black pepper

Preparation:

Put the oil and shallots in a heavy pan and fry, stirring occasionally, for five minutes until well coloured. Add the wine, stock, bay, peppercorns, thyme, sugar and a ¾ tsp (3 ml) salt, cover and simmer for an hour. Remove the lid, raise the heat and boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove the shallots and keep them warm. Stir butter into sauce and set aside until ready to use.

Meanwhile, simmer the lentils in plenty of water until tender (about 25 minutes), drain and set aside.

Half fill a medium pan with water, bring to a boil, add the celery root and carrot and, after 10 minutes, the squash and sweet potato. Ten to 15 minutes later, they should be done.

Drain the veg, shaking off as much liquid as possible, and mash well with a potato masher. Mix in the butter, maple syrup, cumin and cooked lentils and season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, top the mash with shallots and pour sauce over the top. Serves 6.

From Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi

This recipe from the April 2015 issue of Food and Wine is definitely dinner party-worthy. You can use chicken drumsticks or drums and thighs. Brown the chicken, sauté bacon, vegetables and mushrooms, add wine and thyme and simmer for about 90 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Canola oil can contain artificial ingredients, so check the label. Use bacon preserved with celery salt, not nitrites. I used a red wine from Frogpond Farm that has a sulfite level lower than 10 parts per million. Imagine organic brand chicken stock is additive free.

Brown the chicken legs

Saute the bacon and vegetables

Remove the chicken while you thicken the sauce

Add the chicken back in to reheat

Chicken Legs Coq au Vin

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks (2 pounds/1 kg)

Kosher salt

Pepper

3 tablespoons (45 ml) all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons (30 ml) canola oil

1 slice of bacon, chopped (optional)

½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped carrot

½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped onion

½ cup (125 ml) finely chopped celery

1½ cups (375 ml) chopped mushrooms (3 ounces)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

½ cup (125 ml) brandy

1 tablespoon (15 ml) tomato paste

1 bottle dry red wine

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock

2 thyme sprigs, plus chopped thyme for garnish

Preparation:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust all over with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the flour. In a large cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the bacon to the casserole and cook until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, mushrooms and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brandy and cook until reduced by half, 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of flour until incorporated. Add the wine, stock and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until very tender, about 1 ½ hours. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Simmer the sauce until thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and discard the thyme sprigs. Return the chicken to the sauce and heat through. Garnish with chopped thyme and serve. Serves 4. Make ahead: The coq au vin can be refrigerated for 3 days.

From the April 2015 issue of Food and Wine

This recipe from Anna and Michael Olson Cook From Home is a great way to grill a whole chicken. Because the chicken is flattened, it cooks quickly and evenly. The marinade makes the chicken tender and juice and the herbs add great flavour both before and during grilling. Place the chicken away from direct heat to avoid flareups.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for a red wine with sulphite level lower than 10 parts per million and a red wine vinegar that does not contain sulphites. I used a red wine from  Frogpond Farm and Eden Organic vinegar. Make sure the spices do not contain colour or anti-caking agents.

Remove the backbone and flatten the chicken

The marinade uses fresh herbs

Remove the herbs from the marinade and place on the grill

Place the chicken on top of the herbs

The chicken takes about 30 minutes to cook through

Grilled chicken with scorched herbs

Ingredients:

1 2 lb. (1 kg) whole chicken

2 bay leaves

½ bunch fresh thyme

½ bunch fresh rosemary

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 cup (75 ml) red wine

1/3 cup (75 ml) red wine vinegar

1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin

1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander

Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Preparation:

Rinse the chicken under cold water and dry with paper towels. Remove the backbone carefully using a boning knife and split each chicken in half lengthwise through the breastbone. You can also simply flatten the chicken by pressing down on the breastbone from the skin-side until it “cracks”, and cook it whole.

Stir the bay leaves, whole thyme and rosemary sprigs with the garlic, wine, vinegar, cumin and coriander together and marinate the chicken for 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours, refrigerated.

Preheat the grill to medium and make sure the surface is scrubbed clean with a grill brush. Remove the bay, thyme and rosemary from the marinade, and place them on the grill, then season the chicken with salt and pepper and place over the herbs. Cover of the grill and allow this to cook 8 to10 minutes (the herbs will smoke vigourously). Baste the chicken with half of the remaining marinade and cook 5 minutes, then turn over and brush with the last of the marinade. Finish cooking, about 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. The juices of the chicken should run clear and the meat should have lost its “pink” look around the bone (check near the thigh bone). Serve hot from the grill. Serves 4

From Anna and Michael Olson Cook From Home

Everyone should have a good spaghetti and meatballs recipe in their arsenal, and this one from the Barefoot Contessa is a classic. The meatballs, which contain three kinds of meat, are simmered in a savoury tomato sauce. Serve on top of cooked spaghetti and sprinkle with lots of Parmesan cheese. This recipe takes a little time to prepare, but your family and friends will love it!

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

White bread, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, red wine and canned tomatoes may contain preservatives, colour or sulfites. The bread and bread crumbs should contain only natural ingredients. I used a wedge of President’s Choice Parmesan cheese and red wine from Frogpond Farm that had no sulfites added. Buy whole nutmeg and grate it on a microplane grater – it will taste much fresher than pre-ground nutmeg, which can include anti-caking chemicals. I use Unico canned tomatoes, which contain only tomatoes and salt.

The meatballs are made with veal, pork and beef

Make about 15 meatballs, two inches in diameter

Brown the meatballs well

Saute the onion and garlic in the same pan

Deglaze the pan to incorporate the delicious brown bits, aka fond

Simmer the meatballs in the tomato sauce

Serve atop cooked spaghetti and sprinkle with Parmesan

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

½ pound ground veal
½ pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
¼ cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
½ cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

1 ½ pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4 inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don’t crowd the meatballs.

Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don’t clean the pan. For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 6.

From Family Style by the Barefoot Contessa

This delicious beef stew from the February 2014 issue of Canadian Living has a Moroccan twist, thanks to the fragrant spices and addition of prunes and apricots. It would be great for a pot luck dinner or a casual supper, and it tastes even better the next day! Serve with couscous or crusty bread.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check you spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I have not been able to find an all-natural beef stock, so I used Imagine brand organic chicken stock and it worked fine. I used wine from Frogpond Farm that had no sulfites added. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire sauce is all-natural. Dried fruits often contain sulfites to preserve colour, so check the label carefully.

Onion and celery flavour the stew

Toss beef with salt and pepper before browning

Brown the beef well

Simmer the stew for 1.5 hours

Sweet and sour beef stew with prunes and apricots

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

1.35 kg stewing beef cubes

½ tsp (2 ml) each salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp (10 ml) ground ginger

½ tsp (2 ml) each cinnamon, and ground allspice

2 bay leaves

3 cups (750 ml) sodium-reduced beef broth

1 cup (250 ml) dry red wine

1/3 cup (75 ml) cider vinegar

2 tbsp (30 ml) packed brown sugar

2 tsp (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce

4 carrots, chopped

2 white turnips, peeled and cubed

½ cup (125 ml) pitted prunes, chopped

½ cup (125 ml) dried apricots, chopped

2 tbsp (30 ml) all-purpose flour

2 tbsp (30 ml) cold water

Preparation:

In large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 1 tsp (5 ml) of the oil over medium heat; cook onions and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Scrape into bowl.
Toss together beef, salt and pepper. Add remaining oil to pan; heat over medium high heat. Cook beef, in batches and stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6 minutes.

Stir in garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion mixture, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and bay leaves; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1-½ hours.

Stir in carrots, turnips, prunes and apricots; cook, stirring occasionally, until turnips are tender, about 45 minutes. Discard bay leaves.

Whisk flour with cold water; whisk into stew. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Serves 10. To make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

From the February 2014 issue of Canadian Living